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John Rinewalt/1857-02-16
Philadelphia Feb. 16 1857 Misses Wood & Gregory Dear Sisters, The intelligence I receive from Carroll is both pleasant & painful. Pleasant to hear that so many of our Dear fellow mortals are choosing the "good part that never can be taken from them." O! how wisely & sensibly they act in renouncing "the world, the flesh & the Devil" & giving their Hearts to that Blessed Saviour, who has been so kind to us all. May God reveal his Almighty power in Carroll, & may the work already accomplished, compare to that yet to take place, as "drops to the Bucket." My heart is made glad to hear fo the great & refreshing season you have in our infant villiage Carroll. How good our heavenly Father is. Just when the hearts of His people were growing faint & almost dispairing—just when the wicked had ascended to the topmost round of the ladder, & to give the shout of victory—God in His mercy knocks the super structure from beneath them & lets them fall. The intelligence I say is painful too, but it should not be. This pain arises from the opposition that has risen up against this good & blessed work, and against you as Principals of your blessed Institution—but if we had nerve enough we would & should rejoice in it. It unmistakably indicates that the work is of God, & if His, why should we fear? If He is with & for us, who can be successfully against us? You remember how Peter's courage failed when he stepped forth on the Sea to meet his Divine Lord. Impetuous & courageous as was the character of this good man, when he saw the waves rolling & as he no doubt supposed, to swallow him up, his courage gave way, and he began to sink. You remember too his cry to the Dear Saviour. Behold how suddenly that Almighty hand was extended to rescue this Sinking Saint, & how gently & mildly was the rebuke for this lack of Faith. You too, I learn, have stepped on an angry Sea, to meet your Divine Lord, & that the winds of malice are blowing furiously & threatening to carry you down in their madness & it is but reasonable to suppose your courage may be wavering in this emergency. Let me entreat you to stand firmly & immovably at your Post of duty. Remember that same Dear Saviour that saved Peter, is also near you. Be assured no wave dare strike to hurt you while He is your Protector, & ever will be, unless in the hour of darkness you should leave him. I have no such fears. My prayer is that you may have grace sufficient for your trials, & I have a deep impression you will have. I feel sure of it. Let me then intreat you not to be moved an iota from your straightforward duty. Let not the fear of "Union Schools" give you one moment thought. This is the work of envy & of the Devil. It is a Scarecrow, & only intended as such. This dear Union people we have in Carroll remind me very much of the Devil's Wool Speculation. He was so anxious for wool that the first animal he met he began to shear, & the result was more cry than wool. So it is precisely with this Union School project. The conflicting elements that would be engaged in it would not get the house cellar high before there would be a tearing out of each others eyes, & a perfect confusion of tongues. Let me say here, & I say it in Gratitude to God, that there is no power in Carroll that can injure you. All the good people of the place & God Himself are with you. This I know is so true, there may be some professedly Good & Pious souls that have an appearant regard for your Institution that would like to persuade you to halt & take the back track, but remember Lot's wife. I would say to all such, as the Saviour did to the wicked one, "Get thee behind me Satan." You have laid your hands to the Gospel Plough, look not back. Go onward & just as sure as you live Earth & Hell combined cannot injure you in the least. You occupy an important position. Your influence is felt & felt favorably & powerfully on the right side, & what a victory it would be to the wicked one & his tools there, if they could scare you off of the discharge of duty by this miserable Scare Crow Union School. I have two letters from home this morning, giving an account of matters. I felt as if I must drop you a line, & as I leave at 10 o'clock this morning for the Country, I had to write hastily. Excuse the liberty I have taken & the contents of this hasty written letter. If you should have leisure and incluination I would be very happy to hear from you. There is a young lady here, the one I spoke to you about, would wish to be imployed in your school as a teacher. Her character & qualifications are good. I would like to be at home, my heart is very much there. But God in His Providence has so intended I should be from home. I might do more ham than good in the present Fuss. You know my disposition is quick & I might strike & cut off a servant's ear unwisely. Say to my wife I am tolerably well, & kiss that dear little Boy of mine for me. Yours truly, J. Rinewalt. Be not discouraged. You are right & so will the end be. A House builded on a rock will stand.